Masquerade
by ambiguousegg
Summary: Allison Reynolds doesn't like crowded places or public events. Her mother doesn't like Allison being at home all the time. What will happen when Allison is forced to leave the house, and the only place to go is the Shermer High School masquerade ball? AU/ Andrew Clarke x Allison Reynolds/ one-shot


Allison Reynolds didn't enjoy large public events, and she didn't like to be surrounded by masses of people staring her down. And people always stared at her. She had never quite been able to pinpoint exactly _why_, though she had ideas. She dressed in all black and she wore too much eyeliner. Her hair fell in her face and she squeaked and squirmed and yelped and made all kinds of other noises. So people stared at her, and she didn't stop them or yell at them. Usually she ran from them.

She knew the masquerade ball would be no different. She still expected people to stare, though hopefully much less as they wouldn't be able to see her face. The lack of people staring was one reason she was going. That, and because the one time her mother had acknowledged her that week it was to tell her to "get the hell out of the house and do something on the weekend instead of sitting at home all the damn time". It wasn't a particularly long or thrilling conversation.

Allison also liked the idea of a masquerade. With a mask on, people couldn't judge her on looks alone, and she couldn't judge them. If she was being honest with herself, she was quite excited.

It wasn't until the day of the masquerade that she realized she didn't have a dress. Or shoes. Or a mask. Or money to buy any of those things. And though her mother was the one wanting her to leave the house in the first place, Allison knew better than to ask for something from her. Instead, she dug through the depths of her closet until she found a decently nice dress and a pair of flat shoes. She still had no mask, but she had all sorts of odds and ends and crafty things lying around her room and was certain that she could make something if she needed to.

That was exactly what she did, and five minutes before she needed to leave she finished the mask. It was black, because she wasn't going to dress in horribly bright colors just because no one would know who she was. It had some sequins and various different fabric pieces glued on, and Allison had multiple hot glue gun induced burns to show for her work on the mask. She had also managed to get glue on her shoes, dress, and had nearly gotten some in her hair several times. She guessed that was what she got for using after she was already in her dress, but she didn't really care. It wasn't as though it was a particularly nice or fancy dress, and she'd probably never wear it after the ball, so it didn't bother her and she ignored the blobs of glue rubbing on the dress as she rushed to brush her hair. That wasn't something she did frequently, so it took a bit more effort than Allison had time for, but the end result of smooth hair rather than knots and tangles in her face was quite satisfying. She meant to fix her makeup a bit, but she was interrupted by the loud horn of her mother's car. Grabbing the mask, she ran downstairs and outside, only noticing that several sequins were missing when she was already in the car.

The air in the Shermer High School gymnasium was thick with sweat, the scent of likely spiked punch, and overplayed music. Allison wrinkled her nose in disgust at the pungent smells and walked to the wall of the gym to sit with the other outcast kids who certainly wouldn't be asked to dance by anyone. She got bored rather quickly and moved to where everyone was dancing, but the so-called dancing was more of pushing and shoving, so she backed off and made her way outside, taking off the mask as she went. Allison was the only person outside, save for a few couples who obviously preferred each other over the masses inside the gym. She was leaning against the railing, contemplating whether or not to go back inside or go home, when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"'Scuse me? I think you dropped this."

Allison turned around to see that whoever had gotten her attention was holding her mask out to her. She hadn't realized it was missing.

"I guess I did," Allison stuttered; she also hadn't realized that she was shaking from the cold. "Thanks." The person- a boy, she assumed, from the tuxedo and short hair- nodded politely and handed her the mask, which she accepted and put back on.

"You gonna head back inside?" He asked, sticking his hands in the pockets of his pants. "It's pretty cold out here. I mean, I think it is. You might not. Those two sure don't." He nodded towards the couple groping each other by the school as he spoke, getting a small laugh from Allison. She shook her head yes as a response and the pair headed back towards the gym.

"So, what's your name?" The boy asked, looking at Allison through his mask as they entered the gym.

"Allison. You?"

"I can't tell you, can I? It's a masquerade. My identity is supposed to be a secret for the night."

"I told you who I am. Besides, doesn't the rule only apply to faces?"

"Nope," he said, shaking his head. "I like the whole mystery. Everything about me is a secret tonight."

"Well I guess I'm not a fan of secrets. Not really. Besides, I'm really a nobody. I could walk around the rest of the night without this mask and no one would know who I am either way." Allison spoke softly and was surprised at her words. She couldn't believe she was telling a stranger about herself; about her being a nobody.

"I would know," he said after a minute of silence. Allison smiled at his words and felt a blush rising on her cheeks. She glanced up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was past the time she had told her mom she would be home. Her mother wouldn't care how late she was, but Allison liked living up to her words.

"I have to go. Will I ever find out who you are?" Allison asked with mild amusement. The boy grinned as he began walking away,

"Maybe."

At school on Monday, Allison passed by the jocks on her way to class. If she'd glanced back, she might have seen Andrew Clarke smiling at her.


End file.
